Author's Note: No one else has reviewed me! *sulks and mutters under her
breath that you're all evil poops trying to discourage her* Oh well, this
is my story and I'm really getting into it. This is turning out to be a lot
of fun. I'm enjoying the developing relationship between Elizabeth and Dan,
aren't you? I realize that a lot of this has nothing to do with the Circle
characters, but I think they'll come in later when things REALLY start to
heat up. I finally realized where I'm going with all this. Just WAIT until
you find out *Cackles evilly thinking about the horrible plot twists
awaiting her unsuspecting characters* By the way, does anyone think that
maybe someone should start to like Adam? I think I could do a minor plot
with that.love triangles and stuff.*trails off thinking of further plot
complications*
Elizabeth woke the next day and went to the kitchen. As no one else was up, she started to make some tea. By the time it was done, the rest of the household was assembled and Rosethorn had asked them all to sit down for a minute so she could say something.
"You're teachers and I have arranged a camping trip for all of you." She looked around at each face in turn. They all stared back at her like she had told them she was pregnant with an alien's three-headed love child. Even Adam and Dan had learned early on that this was not something Rosethorn would suggest. "This is NOT a social outing." She continued, and the tenants regained their composure. "It's to force you all to use your magic in unknown surroundings." She looked meaningfully at Dan and Elizabeth. "Luna has agreed to allow you two the use of your magic for this week, but your grounding comes back into effect the minute your feet touch Winding Circle soil." Looking back at the rest of the group she continued, "All of your teachers will come with you. Sandry will be coming as well so that she can take Pasco, and Briar will be taking Evvy." Looking at Tris she said, "You and Daja may come along as well. You can always use the practice." Tris nodded. Rosethorn expounded the details of the trip before they all had their breakfast. After they were finished, Dan and Elizabeth excused themselves and went to the hospital to commence vomit cleanup and basin holding.
"This might be fun." Dan commented as they walked towards the hospital together. Elizabeth gave him a strange look.
"Since when is cleaning up vomit fun?" She asked. Dan rolled his eyes.
"Not that. The camping trip. Don't you think?"
"Yeah, though I'm not so sure I want to find out how we'll be forced to use our magic. I'm starting to think we'll be blindfolded and left in the middle of the forest to be eaten by the bears." She cringed at the thought, which had come up in her mind in graphic detail. Dan laughed. "You laugh now, but just wait." Muttered Elizabeth, only causing him to laugh harder.
He put his arm around her, still giggling like a schoolgirl, and said "Don't worry, I'll protect you."
"Great," She said dryly, "Now I feel safe." But inwardly she smiled. Before she knew what she was doing, she started to lean in to kiss him. Right before she made contact, she realized what she was doing and pulled away. Hastily she said, "We better hurry up." Walking quickly towards the hospital she began to mentally scream at herself. She couldn't believe what she had almost done; it was so unlike her. I just don't function right around him, she thought. She avoided Dan for the rest of the day, afraid of what he thought about it. He caught up with her, however, while they were going home.
"Hey," he said, sounding annoyed, "What the hell did I do?"
"What?" Elizabeth asked, confused.
"You've been avoiding me all day." He stated plainly. She blushed. "What gives you that idea?" She asked, hoping she could play it off.
"Well," he began, with mock patience, "I haven't seen you since you entered the door of that place, and when Luna dismissed us you bolted out of there like it was on fire." Elizabeth blushed harder. "So," Dan continued, "I'd like to know what in the hell I did that made you do that. For God's sake, how can I fix it if you won't let me know what I did in the first place?"
Elizabeth had conflicting attitudes about this confrontation. On the one hand, she was glad that Dan hadn't seemed to pick up on the fact that she had almost kissed him. On the other, it was so PAINFULLY obvious, that he SHOULD have known. This made her confused as to whether he was choosing to ignore it or if he was a downright moron. If he was choosing to ignore it, why? Because he really didn't feel the same as her and he figured if he didn't bring it up it was like it never happened? Since all of this was passing through her brain, all she could manage to say was, "ummm."
"FINE!" Dan huffed, and began walking away from her as quickly as Elizabeth had walked from him earlier that day. Elizabeth felt her heart sink as she tried in vain to figure out a coherent sentence to say. When he was out of view, she sank to the ground.
"Dammit! Dammit, Dammit, DAMMIT!!!!!!!!" She screamed. She got up and kicked at the ground meaninglessly before heading off to Discipline.
When she got there, Dan refused to look at her. She still hadn't come up with something to say to him, so she went to her room. Pulling a Tris, she grabbed a pillow and screamed into it. Then she screamed into it again, and again, and again. Feeling a little better, if also a little light-headed, she went to her desk and started to read her assigned chapter from Luna. This, however, only made her think of Dan. Throwing her book on the ground she glared at it before flopping down on her bed in surrender.
I better think of something to tell him, she decided. So she thought. And she thought, and thought, and thought, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't find a convincing reason for avoiding him except for the truth. Fat chance I'm telling him THAT! She thought. Maybe he'll just forget about it. But she knew that he wouldn't. He'd said himself that he could be extremely stubborn.
Elizabeth grabbed the bag she packed the night before and loaded it into the wagon. Dan hadn't said anything to her all morning. Now they were going on the camping trip and she wasn't sure if she could stand the communication gap for the whole week. After a head count, Rosethorn and Lark climbed into the drivers' seat of a wagon with Evvy, Briar, Sandry, and Pasco in the back while Luna and took the drivers' seat of the wagon holding Adam, Elizabeth, and Dan. Adam's teacher, Adrienne Pine, drove another wagon, holding the supplies for the camp.
Dan, being completely childish as far as Elizabeth was concerned, kept up his silent treatment. Adam however, managed to keep up a steady conversation the whole ride over, without either Dan or Elizabeth saying one word.
When they got there, the children helped set up camp. Elizabeth went over to Dan, who pretended not to notice her. "Looks like they're not dumping us in the woods to be eaten by bears." She tried. "Good. I'm not really in the mood to protect you right now anyway. Now I won't have to worry about feeling guilty if the bears kill you" Dan said before turning away and busying himself with another task. Elizabeth stood for a minute, shocked. She was amazed that something as abstract as words could make her feel as if he'd just stabbed her with a knife.
"I'm taking a walk." She declared. Rosethorn started to protest but Elizabeth cut her off. "LOOK! You're the one saying we need to learn to use our power in foreign environments, if I get into trouble I'll just do that!" And with that, she ran into the woods before anyone could stop her. After she'd gone far enough that she knew no one would follow her, she slowed to a walk. She walked aimlessly; she just needed something to do. She started thinking about Dan and what he'd said. She knew he didn't mean it, but it still hurt her. This whole thing is SO stupid! She thought. He's totally over-reacting! But was he? It was obvious that she had hurt his feelings by avoiding him. Was he really over-reacting? Ok, she conceded, maybe he's not. All of a sudden, she heard a low growl. Turning to her left, her face took on an expression of shock. "Oh shit." She stated as she looked into the face of a furry, not-so-cuddly black bear.
Author's Note: I love cliffhangers! He he. Anyways, this is a longer chapter (I think), so be happy! Remember the question I asked at the top (and if you don't, read it again please. I need some help). Love you all! Good-bye until next time!
Elizabeth woke the next day and went to the kitchen. As no one else was up, she started to make some tea. By the time it was done, the rest of the household was assembled and Rosethorn had asked them all to sit down for a minute so she could say something.
"You're teachers and I have arranged a camping trip for all of you." She looked around at each face in turn. They all stared back at her like she had told them she was pregnant with an alien's three-headed love child. Even Adam and Dan had learned early on that this was not something Rosethorn would suggest. "This is NOT a social outing." She continued, and the tenants regained their composure. "It's to force you all to use your magic in unknown surroundings." She looked meaningfully at Dan and Elizabeth. "Luna has agreed to allow you two the use of your magic for this week, but your grounding comes back into effect the minute your feet touch Winding Circle soil." Looking back at the rest of the group she continued, "All of your teachers will come with you. Sandry will be coming as well so that she can take Pasco, and Briar will be taking Evvy." Looking at Tris she said, "You and Daja may come along as well. You can always use the practice." Tris nodded. Rosethorn expounded the details of the trip before they all had their breakfast. After they were finished, Dan and Elizabeth excused themselves and went to the hospital to commence vomit cleanup and basin holding.
"This might be fun." Dan commented as they walked towards the hospital together. Elizabeth gave him a strange look.
"Since when is cleaning up vomit fun?" She asked. Dan rolled his eyes.
"Not that. The camping trip. Don't you think?"
"Yeah, though I'm not so sure I want to find out how we'll be forced to use our magic. I'm starting to think we'll be blindfolded and left in the middle of the forest to be eaten by the bears." She cringed at the thought, which had come up in her mind in graphic detail. Dan laughed. "You laugh now, but just wait." Muttered Elizabeth, only causing him to laugh harder.
He put his arm around her, still giggling like a schoolgirl, and said "Don't worry, I'll protect you."
"Great," She said dryly, "Now I feel safe." But inwardly she smiled. Before she knew what she was doing, she started to lean in to kiss him. Right before she made contact, she realized what she was doing and pulled away. Hastily she said, "We better hurry up." Walking quickly towards the hospital she began to mentally scream at herself. She couldn't believe what she had almost done; it was so unlike her. I just don't function right around him, she thought. She avoided Dan for the rest of the day, afraid of what he thought about it. He caught up with her, however, while they were going home.
"Hey," he said, sounding annoyed, "What the hell did I do?"
"What?" Elizabeth asked, confused.
"You've been avoiding me all day." He stated plainly. She blushed. "What gives you that idea?" She asked, hoping she could play it off.
"Well," he began, with mock patience, "I haven't seen you since you entered the door of that place, and when Luna dismissed us you bolted out of there like it was on fire." Elizabeth blushed harder. "So," Dan continued, "I'd like to know what in the hell I did that made you do that. For God's sake, how can I fix it if you won't let me know what I did in the first place?"
Elizabeth had conflicting attitudes about this confrontation. On the one hand, she was glad that Dan hadn't seemed to pick up on the fact that she had almost kissed him. On the other, it was so PAINFULLY obvious, that he SHOULD have known. This made her confused as to whether he was choosing to ignore it or if he was a downright moron. If he was choosing to ignore it, why? Because he really didn't feel the same as her and he figured if he didn't bring it up it was like it never happened? Since all of this was passing through her brain, all she could manage to say was, "ummm."
"FINE!" Dan huffed, and began walking away from her as quickly as Elizabeth had walked from him earlier that day. Elizabeth felt her heart sink as she tried in vain to figure out a coherent sentence to say. When he was out of view, she sank to the ground.
"Dammit! Dammit, Dammit, DAMMIT!!!!!!!!" She screamed. She got up and kicked at the ground meaninglessly before heading off to Discipline.
When she got there, Dan refused to look at her. She still hadn't come up with something to say to him, so she went to her room. Pulling a Tris, she grabbed a pillow and screamed into it. Then she screamed into it again, and again, and again. Feeling a little better, if also a little light-headed, she went to her desk and started to read her assigned chapter from Luna. This, however, only made her think of Dan. Throwing her book on the ground she glared at it before flopping down on her bed in surrender.
I better think of something to tell him, she decided. So she thought. And she thought, and thought, and thought, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't find a convincing reason for avoiding him except for the truth. Fat chance I'm telling him THAT! She thought. Maybe he'll just forget about it. But she knew that he wouldn't. He'd said himself that he could be extremely stubborn.
Elizabeth grabbed the bag she packed the night before and loaded it into the wagon. Dan hadn't said anything to her all morning. Now they were going on the camping trip and she wasn't sure if she could stand the communication gap for the whole week. After a head count, Rosethorn and Lark climbed into the drivers' seat of a wagon with Evvy, Briar, Sandry, and Pasco in the back while Luna and took the drivers' seat of the wagon holding Adam, Elizabeth, and Dan. Adam's teacher, Adrienne Pine, drove another wagon, holding the supplies for the camp.
Dan, being completely childish as far as Elizabeth was concerned, kept up his silent treatment. Adam however, managed to keep up a steady conversation the whole ride over, without either Dan or Elizabeth saying one word.
When they got there, the children helped set up camp. Elizabeth went over to Dan, who pretended not to notice her. "Looks like they're not dumping us in the woods to be eaten by bears." She tried. "Good. I'm not really in the mood to protect you right now anyway. Now I won't have to worry about feeling guilty if the bears kill you" Dan said before turning away and busying himself with another task. Elizabeth stood for a minute, shocked. She was amazed that something as abstract as words could make her feel as if he'd just stabbed her with a knife.
"I'm taking a walk." She declared. Rosethorn started to protest but Elizabeth cut her off. "LOOK! You're the one saying we need to learn to use our power in foreign environments, if I get into trouble I'll just do that!" And with that, she ran into the woods before anyone could stop her. After she'd gone far enough that she knew no one would follow her, she slowed to a walk. She walked aimlessly; she just needed something to do. She started thinking about Dan and what he'd said. She knew he didn't mean it, but it still hurt her. This whole thing is SO stupid! She thought. He's totally over-reacting! But was he? It was obvious that she had hurt his feelings by avoiding him. Was he really over-reacting? Ok, she conceded, maybe he's not. All of a sudden, she heard a low growl. Turning to her left, her face took on an expression of shock. "Oh shit." She stated as she looked into the face of a furry, not-so-cuddly black bear.
Author's Note: I love cliffhangers! He he. Anyways, this is a longer chapter (I think), so be happy! Remember the question I asked at the top (and if you don't, read it again please. I need some help). Love you all! Good-bye until next time!